I understand both Israel's need for safety - with a little vengeance mixed in - and the Palestinians need for safety, normalcy, and most importantly a future.
So, here's my solution (which will be difficult and unfulfilling for most of the regional players).
So, let's start with these basics, then go to my proposal.
- Israel deserves to be safe
- Palestinians in the Gaza Strip deserve a better life than now
- Hamas offers one of the few ways to express disapproval politically.
- Attacks from Hamas into Israel have to stop
- Israel's blockade of Gaza needs to stop
- Egypt and Jordan won't help, but won't interfere in most cases.
Proposal (after ceasefire or something)
- Israel works with someone (EU, US, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, someone) to "police" Gaza. We'll call this group the "UN+3" (best grouping, UN + Israel + Türkiye).
- The UN+3 will provide for the safety of the people of Gaza
- Joint police patrols, simple things to build confidence like street police teams made up of at least 1 Muslim each (best case 1 Muslim + 1 Israeli).
- UN+3 will undertake rebuilding Gaza infrastructure, starting with the basics like hospitals, schools, and homes.
- Israel has to allow food, gas, and water into GAZA.
- As areas become governable more food and water must be let in. There has to be a "carrot" to build an rapport.
- Gaza will have local (neighborhood) elections. These local elections will create a mayor and council. This elected area council and mayor will work alongside a UN+3 council board. The elections cannot include Hamas in these councils or aid stops.
- ISRAEL should pay the salaries of the mayor and local council - this can be done in a roundabout way, but it would be better if Izrael did it directly. This will stop the bribery of local officials by Hamas. And, if Hamas takes over the council, payments can stop.
- Ensure that even sectors that elected Hamas, which are not seated, should be improved to build a sense of community outside of Hamas
- Areas that refuse to cooperate can be left out of plans AND have access to the rest of Gaza cut off via roads.
- Don't punish them, just provide a process to be more responsive and the option of joining later without Hamas.
- Monies donated for relief or rebuilding Gaza will be managed by the joint management of the Local Council and the UN+3.
- Money destined for physical infrastructure will be focussed on infrastructure.
- Humanitarian Aid will be managed by the Local Council - with minimal oversight just to ensure it does not go to weapons.
- The UN+3 will check imports for weapons.
- As the localities are repaired, governance should be returned to the local councils as far as possible, maybe just keep an observer in the council meetings.
Tada!
I think resolves the biggest issue right now, which is "What Next"? If Israel can't get a reasonable exit strategy, the conflagration will go on.
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